I Corinthians 3:10-15 and John 14

With scraps of wooden molding left over from a redecoration project, I constructed several small "houses" that were subsequently covered with paper. These were then incorporated into two companion collages on hardwood, both dealing with Biblical references to houses in the context of the afterlife.



Parable of the Three Little Pigs (2010) (20" x 20")

Paul explains in I Corinthians 3:10-15 the fate of one's works in the afterlife in terms very reminiscent of the story of the three little pigs. Deeds on earth may or may not survive judgment fire depending on the foundation on which they were built, but believers will be saved nevertheless.



My Father's House (2010) (24 1/2" x 18")

When Jesus' disciples express concern regarding their future fate, he reassures them that there will be abundant room prepared for them in heaven (John 14:1-7).



Spiritual Possession

The Bible clearly teaches that human beings are capable of being influenced by spiritual entities, despite the fact that this contention runs counter to current sensibilities.  The paired 12" x 16" collages on canvas shown below illustrate two such examples, but they are quite different in nature.

Matthew 8 recounts the exorcism of demons from a possessed man while Acts 2 tells the story of Pentacost in which the Holy Spirit descended on the congregation of believers. These two events remind me of Jesus' story in Matt. 12:43-45 about an unclean spirit leaving a person but not being replaced by anything better. The spirit returns with seven other evil spirits so that "the last state of that person is worse than the first." Basically, in the words of Bob Dylan, "You've gotta serve somebody."



Legion (2005)

Peter Stood Up (2005)

Ezekiel 4-5

The Book of Ezekiel is well known for its bizarre visions. But even more bizarre, at least to those around him, was the behavior of the prophet himself when he was asked by God to act out various prophecies for the people of Israel. These included: going around with his hands bound with ropes, enacting the siege of a toy city, lying on one side for 390 days and the other side for 40 days, baking his bread on cow dung and measuring it before eating, cutting all the hair on his head and dividing it into three equal parts, and digging a hole in a wall and pushing all his belongings through it.

Most of these acted-out prophecies occur in chapters 4 and 5 of Ezekiel and are pictured in two companion collages made in 2009:


Strangely Normal (2' x 1')



Normally Strange (2' x 1')